Glycine–methanesulfonic acid (1:1) and glycine–p-toluenesulfonic acid (1:1) crystals: Comparison of structures, hydrogen bonds, and vibrations

Vibrational, XRD and (13)C NMR studies of DL-phenylglycinium methanesulfonate crystal

A new crystal formed by DL-phenylglycine and methanesulfonic acid (PGLYMS) was obtained and studied by X-ray diffraction, IR and Raman spectroscopy, solid state NMR and DSC methods. Additionally, theoretical computations for the phenylglycine cation were carried out (DFT/B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ). Our results show that PGLYMS does not exhibit any phase transitions and crystallizes in the P21/c space group of monoclinic system (Z=4). Detailed analysis of its structure and its IR, Raman and NMR spectra is presented.

High performance catalytic distillation using CNTs-based holistic catalyst for production of high quality biodiesel

For production of biodiesel from bio oils by heterogeneous catalysis, high performance catalysts of transesterification and the further utilization of glycerol have been the two points of research. The process seemed easy, however, has never been well established. Here we report a novel design of catalytic distillation using hierachically integrated CNTs-based holistic catalyst to figure out the two points in one process, which shows high performance both for the conversion of bio oils to biodiesel and, unexpectedly, for the conversion of glycerol to more valuable chemicals at the same time. The method, with integration of nano, meso to macro reactor, has overwhelming advantages over common technologies using liquid acids or bases to catalyze the reactions, which suffer from the high cost of separation and unsolved utilization of glycerol.

Spin transition sensors based on β-amino-acid 1,2,4-triazole derivative

A β-aminoacid ester was successfully derivatized to yield to 4H-1,2-4-triazol-4-yl-propionate (βAlatrz) which served as a neutral bidentate ligand in the 1D coordination polymer [Fe(βAlatrz)₃](CF₃SO₃)₂·0.5H₂O (1·0.5H₂O). The temperature dependence of the high-spin molar fraction derived from ⁵⁷Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy recorded on cooling below room temperature reveals an exceptionally abrupt single step transition between high-spin and low-spin states with a hysteresis loop of width 4 K (T_c^↑ = 232 K and T_c^↓ = 228 K) in agreement with magnetic susceptibility measurements. The material presents striking reversible thermochromism from white, at room temperature, to pink on quench cooling to liquid nitrogen, and acts as an alert towards temperature variations. The phase transition is of first order, as determined by differential scanning calorimetry, with transition temperatures matching the ones determined by SQUID and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The freshly prepared sample of 1·0.5H₂O, dried in air, was subjected to annealing at 390 K, and the obtained white compound [Fe(βAlatrz)₃](CF₃SO₃)₂ (1) was found to exhibit a similar spin transition curve however much temperature was increased by (T_c^↑ = 252 K and T_c^↓ = 248 K). The removal of lattice water molecules from 1·0.5H₂O is not accompanied by a change of the morphology and of the space group, and the chain character is preserved. However, an internal pressure effect stabilizing the low-spin state is evidenced.